The present invention relates to a fluid processing device, and a method of processing fluid.
In liquid chromatography, a fluidic sample and an eluent (liquid mobile phase) may be pumped through conduits and a column in which separation of sample components takes place. The column may comprise a material which is capable of separating different components of the fluidic sample. Such a packing material, so-called beads which may comprise silica gel, may be filled into a column tube which may be connected to other elements (like a sampler having a fluidic valve, a detector) by conduits.
One or more fluidic valves may form part of a liquid chromatography apparatus. An example for such a valve for liquid separation is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,036,526 B1. Further reference is made to patent applications with U.S. application No. 61/834,883 and PCT application number PCT/IB2013/054885 published after the priority date of the present application.
US 2006/0186028 A1 discloses a liquid chromatography system for a mass spectrometer. The liquid chromatography system comprises a precolumn and an analytical column. A liquid flow through both of the precolumn and the analytical column may be adjusted by two valves. By switching the valves, the liquid chromatography system can be operated in different operational modes, wherein the precolumn and the analytical column are assigned to different flow paths in the different operational modes.
WO 2013/167193 A1 discloses a sample separation apparatus for separating a fluidic sample. The sample separation apparatus comprises a first pump delivering a first fluid to a first dimension chromatographic column. After passing the first chromatographic column, the first fluid enters a fluidic valve and a flow coupler. Further, a second fluid is delivered by a second pump. Within the fluidic valve and/or within the flow coupler, the first fluid and the second fluid are mixed to a uniform flow. Then, the uniform flow of first fluid and second fluid is delivered to a second dimension chromatographic column.
Two-dimensional separation of a fluidic sample denotes a separation technique in which a first separation procedure in a first separation unit is performed to separate a fluidic sample into a plurality of fractions, and in which a subsequent second separation procedure in a second separation unit is performed to further separate at least one of the plurality of fractions into sub-fractions. Two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D LC) may combine two liquid chromatography separation techniques and plot the time dependency of detection events along two orthogonal time axes.
For sample separation devices such as liquid chromatography devices, fluidic switches are used. During a switching operation, pressure shocks may occur which may damage fluidic members of the sample separation device.